Pokémon Ranger: Power Crisis
by Major Sonic Freak
Summary: In Midtown, centrally located in the Shire region, what starts out as just a boy's lost Pikachu turns into something bigger than the large island-region itself. It's up to 2 rookie Rangers to find out what's going on before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1

"Help!" the cry carried through the town as a young boy with a sideways cap came running out of the thick, lush green forest to the North. "My Pikachu! My Pikachu!"

"What happened to your Pikachu?" a teenage girl with short purple hair came running to meet him with a Sneasel in tow.

"He's gone!" the boy cried. "I lost him in the Ivory Forest!"

"Search and rescue," the girl said, "no problem."

"Um…" the boy stammered, "shouldn't we get a Ranger?"

"Pttttttt," the girl brushed aside the thought with her hand making a raspberries sound. "I'm way better than a Ranger!"

"But-"

"Now, where'd you last see the little guy?" the girl interrupted.

"Uhh….in there," the boy pointed into the forest. "I don't know where. But I still think this is a job for a Ra-"

"Alright, not much to go on," the girl said. "C'mon, Snowflake."

"Snea!" Sneasel replied as it ran after the girl into the forest.

"Snowflake, scout the area," the girl said. "Find Pikachu. He can't be too far."

"Sneasel!" Snowflake saluted then darted off with intense speed.

The girl slowed to a stop and stood still. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest. _Ranger, ha!_ she thought. _I wouldn't trust those losers with my pokémon!_

"Sneasel!" Snowflake's cry reached her and she ran off in the direction of it.

She soon arrived in a clearing where Pikachu and Snowflake stood. Pikachu was trying to make a break for it, but Snowflake continued to dash back and forth to block its path. Upon the girl's arrival, Pikachu went into panic and tried even harder to flee.

"Capture on!" came a male voice from the undergrowth just to the girl's right. From there shot what looked like a top trailing a blue glow. The top encircled Pikachu and the blue glow stayed in a ring around it.

"Snowflake! Ranger!" the girl cried.

"Snea!" Snowflake dashed at Pikachu and slashed the ring with her claws causing it to turn orange and shatter.

"Hey, what gives?" a boy, no older than the girl, came out of the trees where the top had come from. "I had him!"

"Don't you touch that poor Pikachu!" the girl snapped. "I've got this covered, so get lost!"

"I'm a Ranger," the boy turned to show her a badge on his shirt sleeve.

"I'm well aware!" the girl spat. "Only one of you could ever think to use those cursed machines!"

"Snea! Sneasel!" Snowflake cried, pointing to where Pikachu had once stood.

"Now see what you did?!" The girl snapped.

"Me?!" The boy repeated, "you were the one who foiled my capture!"

"And I'll do it again if you get in my way!" the girl snapped back. "Snowflake knows how to deal with your kind."

"Sneasel!" Snowflake cried, flailing her arms to get their attention.

The girl looked down at her and nodded. "Pursuit."

Snowflake saluted again and ran off. The two humans followed at as fast a pace as they could manage.

"What's you're problem?!" the boy demanded.

"Leave that Pikachu alone!" the girl snapped. "You're just making everything worse!"

"Oh you should talk!" the boy retorted. "You're hunting down the poor thing. He belongs to someone, you know."

"Uh duh!" the girl spat. "I'm getting him back for the kid."

"No, that's my mission!" the boy said, "straight from the Ranger Union."

"The Ranger Union can kiss my-"

"Pikaaaaaa!" the cry cut through the air, loud and afraid. Bird pokémon of all types scattered from the trees.

"Sounds like he's hurt," the two said in unison.

"Like you care!" the boy snapped, "your Sneasel probably caused it!"

"Can it, Ranger retard!" the girl snapped, increasing speed until she arrived at the spot where Pikachu was attempting, fatally, to lick the bleeding cut on its foot.

"Looks like he stepped on a rock," the Ranger said, arriving on scene as well.

"Figured that out all by yourself, did ya?" the girl snapped, crouching beside the injured pokémon. "Ouch, it's bleeding. I've never seen a pokémon bleed before. I mean, yea, I'm sure they can, but they go up against much worse than a sharp pebble and walk away relatively fine."

"They have a supernatural ability to withstand way more than physically possible," the Ranger explained.

"Yea, well this guy obviously doesn't!" the girl retorted, her hostility returning at the thought of this Ranger knowing something she didn't. "Snowflake, ice!"

"Snea!" Snowflake formed a block of ice in her outstretched claws with a super-chilled breath. Then, with lightning-fast claw swipes, she cut it down to the size of a` small ice cube in the shape of a lightning bolt.

"No time to be showing off," the girl said, taking the ice. She gently placed it on Pikachu's wound, making it wince and try to pull away. "I know it hurts, but I have to clean it." She stroked Pikachu with her free hand to calm it.

The Ranger just watched, not sure what to do. _I never would've thought of that,_ he thought. _Actually, I would have just captured it and gave it back for that kid to handle._

The girl took a pack of tissues out of her pocket and tossed the now bloody ice cube away. She took out a tissue and wiped the cut dry, then put three more together for strength and tied it around Pikachu's foot. "There, all better."

"Pika," Pikachu replied weakly, forcing a smile as it winced.

"Now," the girl stood up holding Pikachu in her arms, "let's get you home."

The boy watched, dumbfounded, as the girl left with Snowflake following close behind. He quickly snapped out of it and headed back the way he'd come, which just happened to be the same way the girl was going.

They headed towards the path that led back into the town from which they had come. Waiting in the entrance was a man with about shoulder-length black hair wearing a Ranger uniform with black pants instead of the normal shorts.

"Leader Hiro-san," the Ranger bowed respectfully.

"Bradford," the Ranger Leader said, "I see your mission was a success. And who's the young lady?"

"Bradford," the girl snickered.

Bradford blushed. "P…please call me Brad."

The leader laughed. "Alright, Brad. So please, introduce us."

"Who, her?" Brad pointed at the girl. "I don't even know her! She just showed up and ruined my mission!"

"_I_ showed up?!" the girl snapped. "I was there first, then you showed up with your dumb capture thing!"

"It's a Capture Styler," Brad said, "and it's not dumb!"

"Excuse me," Hiro interrupted rather politely considering the children's bickering. "What exactly happened? Brad, you're the Ranger, give me the report."

"Well," Brad stepped forward with a stomp, "I was going to return the Pikachu like you said, when suddenly she ordered her Sneasel to attack my Styler!"

Hiro turned to the girl as if expecting a defense, but received none.

"So then Pikachu gets away and she sends her Sneasel after it," Brad continued. "Then we heard Pikachu cry in pain."

"He stepped on something sharp," the girl interrupted to avoid misunderstandings.

"And the bandage?" Hiro asked, looking at Pikachu's foot.

"It's just a few tissues," the girl replied. "The pack in my pocket was all I had. But I washed it out with ice Snowflake made."

"Snowflake, I take it, is your Sneasel," Hiro asked. "So how did you come to find Pikachu?"

"Well, I got to the boy first when he came outta here," the girl replied. "So Snowflake and I went after him. I sent her ahead to find him, since she's a lot faster and can cover more ground in less time. She also kept him in once place, using her speed, until I could catch up."

"Impressive," the Ranger Leader said. "You've performed far better than most of our rookie Rangers, Brad included, and without a Styler. You-

"Dude, I know where this is going," the girl interrupted, "and I say not on your life!"

"What?!" Hiro was taken aback by the answer. "You mean you-

"Don't want to be a Ranger?" the girl finished for him, "you better believe it! You couldn't pay me enough to be one of your brain-washing wannabe police!"

"What do you mean?" Hiro asked.

"Oh sure all of your missions and helping is all well and good and even noble," the girl spat, "but snatching up Pokémon and forcing them to do your bidding is practically evil! Did you ever once stop to think about how the Pokémon feel?! And what the heck are you smiling about?!"

"Well," the leader said, with a slight chuckle in his voice, "aren't you passionate? I never thought of it like that. I suppose to someone on the outside, it may look like that. Why don't we go back to the base and I'll explain."

"Why can't we do it here?" she asked skeptically.

"I have to get back," Hiro explained. "That place just won't run long without me there."

The girl eyed him skeptically then looked at Brad and then at the Pikachu she held in her arms.

"Oh, of course," Hiro said, "you should return that Pikachu miss…"

"Kita," the girl replied.

"Kita," Hiro repeated, "alright then. I'll be waiting at the base. You know where that is, right?"

"Of course," Kita said. _You have to know your enemy_, she thought to herself.

"Wait a minute," said Brad, "returning Pikachu was my mission!"

"Your mission was to _capture_ and return Pikachu," Hiro corrected him. "And in that you failed, so your first mission is, then, a failure."

Brad's jaw dropped so low it nearly touched the ground. Kita simply laughed tauntingly.

"Now then, we need to get back," Hiro turned to leave with Brad trudging behind him. "See you there."

"See you," Kita called.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sneasel!" Snowflake folded her arms and blew raspberries at the departing Rangers.

"You said it," Kita said, exiting the forest herself. "But even criminals get a chance to defend themselves.

"Snea?!" Snowflake did a double-take, staring wide-eyed at Kita.

"Yes, I'm going," Kita replied, knowing what her pokémon had said. "I want to hear their excuse."

"Snea?" Sneasel arched a brow at her.

"Then I can hate them in a more informed context," Kita replied, looking around as the entered the town. "Now where's that kid?"

"Pi…" Pikachu closed its eyes and sniffed the air. "Pika!" It attempted to leap out of Kita's arms in excitement.

"Woa, there," Kita fumbled with the electric mouse, "don't forget you're hurt. Tell Snowflake where to go and she'll lead the way."

"Pi," Pikachu nodded. "Pi pika pikachu chu pika pikachu."

Snowflake nodded and darted straight into town. Kita ran after her; somehow she always seemed to know where Snowflake was going and could follow her no matter how far ahead she got.

Pikachu sniffed the air again and became ecstatic. "Pika!" it cried with glee.

"Pikachu?" it was the voice of Pikachu's owner as he came around between two buildings. "Pikachu!" He ran towards Kita at the sight of his beloved pokémon.

"Cha!" Pika leapt out of Kita's arms and his trainer caught him, laughing and rejoicing and just plain happy to have his friend back.

Kita simply watched them, smiling from ear to ear. Snowflake stood beside her and joined in watching the reunion.

"Thanks so much!" the boy said after the initial celebration. "You really _are_ better than a Ranger!"

"And don't you forget it," Kita said.

"I mean, after you left, I went over to the Ranger place and asked Hiro-san to do something about Pikachu," the boy continued, "but you beat the Ranger he sent."

"Hiro-san?" Kita asked.

"The Ranger leader," the boy explained. "Hiro-san. I guess you don't know since you don't use the Rangers, huh?"

"I woulda figured it out," Kita replied, turning back the way she'd come. "Anyway, I'd better be going."

"Bye!" the boy and his Pikachu waved them off. "Alright, Pikachu, Andrew just challenged me to a battle, so let's go!"

Kita couldn't help smiling at the boy's enthusiasm. Although she herself wasn't a trainer, she did share a special bond with a pokémon, and knew just how great it could be. "Alright, Ranger base."

Snowflake pretended to gag.

"I know, I know," Kita sighed, "but I explained this already."

Snowflake folded her arms and nodded while rolling her eyes.

Kita reached down and nudged Snowflake just enough to make her teeter over and need to regain her balance.

After only a short amount of walking the pair arrived at the centrally-located Midtown Ranger Base. It was an enormous building, no easy feat to miss it. On the roof and over the automatic glass doors was the Ranger logo which consisted of a large blocky red letter "R" on top of a swirling circle that looked much like the symbol for a hurricane. Around the top half of the building was a ring of windows all lit.

Kita and Snowflake simply walked in as if they were familiar with the place, they were invited after all. They saw the Ranger leader standing in the middle of the lobby talking to Brad, who's back was to the door. Kita walked right over to them and stood beside Brad, wondering weather she should allow them the courteously of waiting for her own turn. Her decision was made for her when the leader turned and looked at her, ending his conversation with Brad.

"Ranger Leader Hiro?" Kita stood with her hands on her hips and an expectant and impatiently annoyed look on her face. Snowflake stood beside her, mimicking the stance and expression to a T.

"So, you've heard of me, then?" Hiro asked.

"Kid told me a minute ago," Kita pointed over her shoulder at the doors as she shook her head.

Hiro seemed amused by her response. "Whatever it takes. So then, what's this all about? You believe our Capture Stylers are mind-controlling tools of evil, right?"

Kita raised a brow.

"What, was that not what you thought?" Hiro asked.

"No, just the opposite," Kita said, "those were my thoughts _exactly_. How'd you do that? Can those things read minds too?"

"No, no," Hiro said with a chuckle, "it wasn't that hard to pick out. You seemed pretty passionate about your beliefs and made them rather clear. And even so, good people skills are important to anyone especially a Ranger. This includes being able to pick out the exact meaning of words and actions."

"So, am I right?" Kita asked, simply, now sounding impatient once more.

"Moy in the least bit," Hiro assured her, but only got a disbelieving look in return. "though I suppose that's how it may seem. Pokémon to a Ranger are friends not slaves. In fact, we hold our techniques to be more humane and less demanding than those of a Pokémon trainer."

"Uh huh," Kita nodded, still sounding unconvinced. Snowflake nodded as well, but looked up at Hiro with a skeptical glare.

"The Capture Styler is only to help us share our feelings of friendship with the pokémon," Hiro continued. "And also issue requests, which the captured pokémon can either accept or reject."

"Yea great," Kita spat, still not convinced, "that's all sunshine and lollypops, but you can make poké-pals with_out_ some styling thing!"

"You think it's so easy?" Brad snapped, taking a step towards her.

Hiro put his hand up, signaling for Brad to back down, which he did. "You remember saving Pikachu, of course," he said to Kita.

"Duh," Kita answered, wondering where he was going with this.

"Even a tame pokémon such as that was startled easily and frightened of you even though you only meant to help," Hiro explained. "Imagine how much more difficult it would be to befriend a wild Pokémon who may not had any human contact at all."

"I guess….." Kita said, still unwilling to shift her beliefs.

"You want proof?" Hiro reached back to the desk they stood in front of and picked up a right glove with a mechanism on top.

"I take it that's it," Kita said. _Doesn't look like the one _he_ had._

Hiro nodded. "That's the Vatonage Styler. It's a rather new model which used to be reserved only for top Rangers, but now it has moved down to the generic model, meaning the top Rangers must have something better. So, you want to try it and see just how it works?"

Kita took the styler and looked around, then looked down at Snowflake. "Y…you mean…?"

"I can tell the two of you trust each other very much," said Hiro. "I'm sure she'll allow this experiment. You two really have an emotional bond."

"Seriously, your perception of things no one's said is starting to creep me out," Kita said, then looked down at Snowflake. "You up for this?"

Snowflake looked reluctant, but nodded. "Snea," she stepped back a bit.

"Alright," Kita put the glove on and aimed at her. "Voice activated, I assume."

"You assume correctly," Hiro said with a nod.

"Capture on!" Kita commanded, well aware of the command used to initiate the styler. At her command, a top shot from its holder on the glove, trailing a line of blue energy. It headed straight for Snowflake and encircled her.

"Put your index and middle fingers together," Hiro said, "they form the controls."

Kita did as she was told, and a similar blue glow formed at her finger tips.

"Keep them together or you'll break the connection," Hiro explained. "Make circles around Snowflake until the capture is complete."

"O.K." Kita turned her wrist, drawing a circle around Snowflake with the blue glow.

The ring around Snowflake got brighter as Kita made loops. Snowflake squeezed her eyes shut as the capture proceeded. Finally, the circle closed on Snowflake and made her flash white for a moment.

"Capture complete, I guess," Kita said as the top returned to its launching pad. A wave of worry and fear swept over her, but shortly passed "You O.K., Snowflake?"

"Snea?" Snowflake opened one eye. "Sneasel?" She looked herself over, expecting to find something out of place. "Sneasel!"

Relief flooded over Kita, and a bit of excitement, but Kita ignored it. "Well, yea, that's how I'd _want_ you to react, so that's no proof."

"Do you feel feelings that are not your own?" Hiro asked. "Those are Snowflake's. Isn't that proof enough?"

"No," Kita said, "because I want her to feel that way too."

Brad groaned loudly. "Then what's it gonna take?!"

"Can it!" Kita snapped, already formulating an idea. "Snowflake knows to _never_ injure human beings. But, if she were mind-controlled, she'd do it anyway, or am I wrong?" she turned to Hiro.

"No, that's pretty much how it goes," Hiro replied. "If the request is against Snowflake's morals, she can chose to reject it just as easily as to accept it."

"Alright," Kita closed her eyes, "for this to work I have to really want it, otherwise it's not a valid command."

"Wait!" Brad exclaimed, "you're not gonna hurt our leader, are you?!"

"No," Kita replied simply, eyes still closed. "It's _you_ I want to feel pain!" Her eyes flew open, burning with contempt and she pointed accusingly at Brad. "Snowflake, slash attack now!"

"Snea!" Snowflake turned to Brad with a sinister smirk and a gleam in her eye.

"Wh…_WHAT?!_" Brad began to back away with a fearful urgancy. "Hey, hold it! Hiro-san, you _sure_ these things don't _really_ mind-control pokémon?!"

"So _you_ didn't even know what you were getting yourself into!" Kita snapped. "You would go along with just about anything, wouldn't you!? You have no morals!"

Snowflake lunged forward and ran at Brad with a speed no human could achieve.

"Hiiiiiiiirooooo-saaaaaannnn!!!!" Brad whined and braced himself for the attack, shielding his face with his hands.

Snowflake stopped inches in front of him and blew an icy breath over him. Icicles formed on him as she continued the attack.

"C….c…_COLD!_" Brad cried, shivering madly and running around in panic.

Hiro and Kita both laughed and even Snowflake contributed her own pokémon form of laughter.

"Hey!" Brad snapped, "it's not funny! And doesn't this mean she was right?!"

"No," Kita said, taking a breath to regain her composure. "Snowflake is against causing _injury_ to humans, and a bruised ego is not an injury." She looked down at Snowflake who nodded, grinning proudly. "I thought for a minute you were actually gonna do it."

"Alright, now," Hiro took Kita's gloved wrist, "we release," he hit a button on the side of the Styler and a white glow appeared on Snowflake and shattered. "That will happen automatically once a Ranger issues a request that the pokémon follows. It's a sort of safety feature to prevent someone for wearing out a pokémon or abusing the Styler. You see, we Rangers aren't just 'wannabe police,' we do everything from tracking down criminals with Mightyena to using some Machop to help move furniture. We're the bridge between pokémon and people; our capturing is to forge a friendship between all pokémon and humans. That's how I see it, anyway."

"Wow," Kita said as Snowflake leapt onto her shoulder. "I never realized."

"That's right!" Brad proudly took his place beside the Ranger Leader.

"I guess you guys aren't as bad as I thought you were," Kita said.

"Yea, you were _way_ off!" Brad said.

"All these years I've hated Rangers…" said Kita.

"Looks like you owe us an apology," Brad grinned with triumph.

"But instead," Kita looked Hiro straight in the eye, "I should've _been_ one."

"Yea," Brad taunted, "you really…wait, _WHAT?!_"

"My thoughts exactly," Hiro wore a grin that showed he knew she would say that.

Again, Brad's mouth dropped so low, two Munchlax could walk into it and still have room to spare.

"And you're already equipped for the job," Hiro pointed to the Capture Styler Kita still wore, "and you're a natural with it."

"Oh thanks," Kita said.

"First off, let's find you a uniform," Hiro said. "They're stored in back."

Snowflake watched as Hiro led Kita through a door in the back of the room. Once they had gone, she turned and noticed Brad, who appeared to have not moved since his leader agreed to accept Kita as a Ranger. Slowly, Snowflake approached him. She looked up at him and tilted her head in confusion. Then she looked straight ahead where Brad's waist was. She reached out and poked him a few times with one claw, but got no response.

"Snea," Snowflake thoughtfully rested her chin on the back of her clawed hand and stared up at Brad. She climbed onto his shoulder and waved her hand in his face, but still nothing. She leapt down and returned to her thoughtful position. "Snea!" she made a snapping sound with her claws, signifying that she had and idea. She walked around behind the stunned Ranger and stood at a distance. She closed one eye and made a square with her hands, which she looked through. Finally deciding on an angle, Snowflake inhaled deeply and a light blue ball formed in front of her mouth. She shot off the attack, causing lighting bolts of the same color to shoot from the ball and at her target. The attack hit Brad square in the butt, creating a mass of ice on it on contact. Brad cried out and leapt into the air, holding his butt like a cartoon character leaping off a hot stove while Snowflake rolled on the floor in hysterics.

"Why you little!" Brad spun around and glared at Snowflake, taking aim with his Styler. "Capture on!"

Snowflake jumped up into a back flip to avoid the incoming top.

"Capture on!" Brad tried again, but got similar results. "Capture on! Capture on! Capture _on!_"

The top encircled Snowflake as she landed from another dodge. Snowflake leapt up again, but the loop stayed with her. Getting worried now, Snowflake darted away, but again the loop remained around her.

"Ha! Got ya now!" Brad exclaimed, frantically making loops.

"Faint attack!" the command came from across the room.

Snowflake obeyed, disappearing from view and reappearing just outside the loop.

"What!" Brad exclaimed, changing the pattern of his loops to direct the top to its new target.

Snowflake jumped up then did a handstand to avoid the incoming top.

"Icy wind!" Kita commanded.

In mid-air, Snowflake began to blow a chilled breath of ice and snow down at the capture line. The force of it served for propulsion to keep her airborne longer and also hit its target, causing the line to turn orange and shatter.

"Shoot, I almost had her!" Brad snapped.

"Nice try," Kita scoffed, "but Snowflake is a pro at capture-dodging. We invented it, after all." She walked up beside Snowflake, her outfit now changed. She wore a red short-sleeved half vest with yellow sleeves and the Ranger logo on the left sleeve. The front of the vest was open showing the white top of the otherwise black undershirt she wore. Around her waist was a white belt that did nothing to hold up her red and yellow shorts (which was fine since they seemed to fit nicely anyway.)

"What?" Kita asked, noticing Brad staring. _It's not even a good-looking outfit, so why would he suddenly-_

"I….it's just not possible!" Brad cried. "This can't be happening! _You_ a Ranger?"

"She's not a Ranger yet," Hiro said, standing beside the front desk. "There's one more thing you gotta do."

"Some sort of qualification mission?" Kita asked, walking towards him.

"Not at all," Hiro said, picking up a sheet of paper from the desk, "we only require good hearts and good people. All you need to do is reed and sign this." He held the paper out to Kita who took it. Snowflake hopped onto her shoulder, to read it too, despite the fact that the odd array of lines on the paper meant nothing to her. "It's the official Ranger's Pledge."

"I hereby pledge to come to the aid of those in need and to safeguard nature to the best of my ability as a Pokémon Ranger, always with pride and courage in my heart," Kita read aloud. "Sounds good to me."

"Then sign away and you're an official Ranger," Hiro took a pen out of his uniform's front pocket and handed it to Kita.

"You got it!" Kita took the pen and signed before handing the pledge back to Hiro. "There ya go."

"Say cheese," said a Ranger girl with a camera to Kita's right.

Kita and Snowflake turned to her with surprise, but both smiled, anticipating the flash and shutter click that followed, although they did not expect the flash to come from the Shinx at her feet.

"Perfect," the girl made a picture-perfect smile that was both perky and creepy at the same time.

The photo came out of the camera and fluttered to the ground where Shinx snatched it up. He bounded to Hiro, who took the photo and paper-clipped it to the signed pledge.

"And now you're a certified Ranger," he said, stamping the Ranger "R" beside Kita's signature.

"Awesome," Kita said.

"Kill me now," Brad moaned.

_*Shing*_ Snowflake rubbed her claws together and held them out, poised to strike.

"_I'M NOT SERIOUS!_" Brad held up his arms in defense.


End file.
